The teachers in our High School Journalism Institute  have started their own blogs — posting photos, writing entries, including links, and writing comments on their classmates’ blogs.

From NSPA's The Wheel: Don't Reinvent It

The discussion this morning moved to issues about legal issues related to having a blog — as an individual or using the blog for the student media.

What are best practices for posting online?

Legal Issues for Publishing Online from NSPA – The National Scholastic Press Association has posted this material that is part of NSPA’s Multimedia Guidebook. The handout is on the section of the NSPA website that’s called “The Wheel: Don’t Reinvent It,” which includes guidelines for a number of issues.

Online guidelines from the Student Press Law Center

Publishing online guidelines from SPLC – A great resource for legal issues related to student media is the Student Press Law Center. You also can e-mail or call the SPLC if you have specific questions.

High school media teachers and students aren’t the only ones grappling with what should be the guidelines and policies for online media delivery. The professional media also are working their way through having real-time reporting and including reader comments and reader-produced content.

Guidelines from the Radio and Television Digital News Association

Social Media and Blogging Guidelines from RTDNA – The Radio and Television Digital News Association provides guidelines and questions newsrooms should be asking themselves.

• What is the process for determining what will be posted on the social media site (such as what is included on a blog)?
• Who is charged with copyediting material posted on social media sites?
• What is the process for checking online material before including it or linking to that information?

If you are a media adviser, know that the guidelines for a media website/blog are even more vague and open-to-debate than guidelines for a traditional print high school publications. And guidelines will need to be reconsidered and updated as online media continues to develop and evolve.